Hiya, I am back and it is Sunday! I get asked multiple times how long does a cake take me to make. Well, I am going to answer that common question today. There are many components to my cake, the cake, the icing, the filling (mousse, honeycomb) drizzled icing and garnishes. Sometimes I have 1 garnish or sometimes I have 7 it really depends on the design.
I would say roughly each cake would take me 11-12 hours. Some people are really surprised by that. But for instance, there are about 40 odd truffles used to decorate this cake. Those truffles need to be melted, then let to set, then rolled, then left to set and then finally glazed. So not a very straight forward process.
I make all my garnishes before I make the cake if I get a cake order, I prep late at nights with the garnishes, icings, fillings. Then that leaves me the day before to bake the cakes and to assemble the cake with the components. I do this so I ensure freshness in the cakes, because I think that is very important. You can't just rely on a good icing, you must have a moist cake.
There are 3 different truffles here, white chocolate blue marble, milk chocolate iris marble, dark chocolate red marble and milk chocolate sea salt. These truffles are incredibly rich and are so good on their own. I love all the different colours on the truffles and the chocolate texture that helps bring out the colour in the truffles at different angles.
So yes most cakes take me 11-12 hours to make on average, some take a lot longer but I enjoy it so that isn't a long time for me. This cake is a chocolate buttermilk cake, iced with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream, honeycomb pieces in between the layers, drizzled chocolate orange ganache, piped chocolate mousse and garnished with 4 different type of truffles.
Making a singular cake takes probably a week, the first two days I am designing and planning my cake in my journal, planning out the components and which ones I will do first. Then comes research, I then go find recipes, look online, read recipe books, after this sometimes a few components change if I find something better. Then the next part is sourcing the ingredients, I usually go to the supermarket on my driving lesson and have a big book with me with all my special ingredients and Dad follows with the basket. Then inbetween my shifts at work when I am not working, I am busily in the kitchen usually late at night prepping for the cake. The day before depending on my shift, I get up early 6 am and bake the cakes so when I come back from work they are cool in time for me to ice them after work. I then ice them decorate them and watch the time get later and the cake gets better.
I then wake up early the next morning and photograph the cake and then the customer picks up their cake. I then usually go to work and then blog about it after work. Like I am doing right now!
A long process, but so worth it! The joy I get from when people see their cakes is priceless. It reminds me of why I love baking and why it is apart of me <3
I have the truffles recipe here today, you can make these alone and they don't need to go on a cake. They are very decadent and super easy, so if you are looking to impress I suggest these!
Chocolate Truffles
Source: Donna Hay recipe
180ml pouring cream
600g dark chocolate 50% cocoa solids plus (I used dark block by Whittaker's)
Dutch cocoa for dusting
-Place the cream in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer (just before boiling) when small bubbles appear around the edge, and steam in coming off the cream.
-Chop your chocolate into choc chip size and place in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
-As soon as your cream has reached the right stage, steadily pour the hot cream over the chocolate. The cream will melt the chocolate, so grab a spoon and slowly mix the chocolate/cream mix. Don't use a whisk because we are not trying to incoporate air.
-Once the cream has cooled down and stopped melting the chocolate (because your chocolate cream ratio is high not all your chocolate will have melted.) So return the heatproof bowl to a double boiler and slowly over low heat melt the mix until it has no more lumps.
-In a 20cm x 20cm square tin, lined with baking paper, pour your mix into the tin. Leave to set the mixture in the fridge. Overnight is best, 2-3 hours makes the next steps a lot messier and harder as I found out!
-The next morning pull out your truffle mix, with two 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoons place then in a jug of boiling hot water. Allow your truffle mix to warm up a bit (20 mins approx) With your hot measuring spoon, scoop like ice cream out of the truffle mix.
-With your hands, you can use gloves if you don't want to get messy. Roll the truffles till they are circular.
-Place in the fridge to set up.
-Once they are set, melt any chocolate of your choice, dip them in the chocolate and using a fork hold the truffle up and let the excess chocolate drip off. Place on a lined tin with baking paper.
-Decorate as you desire!
I hope you guys loved this recipe. Honestly give it a go you don't have to be good at baking and makes a great gift! Homemade truffles! Yum!
Until next time,
LINZ x x
